Senior Writer

One year ago this week James opened her Fluff Cupcakery store at 16 E. Gabilan St. in Oldtown Salinas and never looked back.

Although the U.S. Small Business Administration says that well more than 50 percent of all small business start-ups fail within their first year, James has beat the odds and continues to charge forward.

“This has been a dream of mine for so long. I willed this store into being and each day I will it forward. I’m determined for it to be a success,” said James, 40, in an interview earlier this week.

Although that part of Gabilan can be a bit dicey at the wrong time of day, James’ bright pink store stands out with a warm visual glow. Step inside the bakery and a visitor is enveloped in a world perfumed by the comforting smell of baked goods.

Drive by and you’ll often see a line of folks trying to get in to buy the moist mini cakes that come in a variety of flavors, all topped with a killer cream-cheese frosting that has been known to make patrons break out in song.

But in order to make a small business work you have to go on a mission. You can’t be a clock-watcher when you own your own business. You have to have a certain singular focus.

“I’ve noticed that it does tend to consume me — 12- to 14-hour days are pretty common. And when I’m home I’m typically on the computer taking care of the store’s website or our social media stuff. Basically, the business is you and you become the business,” James said.

She admits there have been some days when she’s had her doubts about the operation.

One of those days occurred last spring when a man came in and robbed her.

“Yeah, it was weird. I knew there was something wrong with him right away. But, he bought a cupcake and he even complimented me on it,” James said.

The robber, who was eventually caught and arrested for another strong-arm robbery, got James to open her cash drawer.

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“Once that drawer was opened, he jumped over the counter in a flash. He pushed me away and grabbed all the cash” said James, adding that she was shaken up by the incident but unharmed.

At first, she did everything — the baking, the sales and the upkeep of the store.

Now she has two bakers that come in early each day to get started on preparing the 300 to 500 cupcakes James will typically make each day.

It’s stores like James’ that help make the economy of the city run. It’s the same way across the nation.

In fact, statistics show that small business drives the lion’s heart of the America’s economy.

One of the keys to her success has been the quality of the product she makes.

At the heart of a good cupcake, she says, is whether or not it retains its moistness. James says hers do, thanks to a special recipe that she will not reveal.

“I’ve got to have some secrets,” she says, laughing.

But what lies ahead for the little business is still a work in progress.

James says she wants to concentrate on catering weddings, funerals and other social events as well as developing larger commercial accounts.

Developing a second location is something in the back of her mind, too.

But even before that, James says, she’s thinking about finding a larger store in the downtown area — perhaps a storefront on Main Street.

While many officials at City Hall seem to be focused on landing that big fish in the game of economic development, I think the city ought to be concentrating more on how it can assist the existing small businesses in town like the Cupcakery, too.

Looking forward, James says she will be officially celebrating her shop’s first-year anniversary this Saturday.

She says she’ll be presenting prizes, offering free tastings and discounting her cupcakes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We’re going to have a party, and I hope all my loyal customers will come by and say hello. I’m so grateful to them. It’s been a heck of a ride,” she said.

I hope James takes a minute to take it all in during the party.

After all, she’s done a heck of a job.

• Jeff Mitchell covers Salinas City Hall and local politics. Send tips or story ideas by email to: jemitchell@theCalifornian.com; or by phone: 831-754-4281. He can be heard live on the air Fridays at 8:10 a.m. on KION 1460-AM and KION 101.1-FM. You also can follow Under the Dome on Twitter at twitter.com/CalUnderTheDome